The Sun. — London, England, 1818-05-27 00:00:00

PAR LI A ME NT. 110UsE OF LORDS, TUESDAY, MA 26. The -Irish Wink Restricrion—The Coal Ditties. Regidm ton—Tne Silk Bounties--Irish Excise Re gqi.,,(i.ll—Disembodied Militia—lrish Militia l'ay Dud Cioti.ing—and the Irish Assessed Taxes' Bills, bront4ht np from the Commons by Mr. iirogden and others, and read the first time. The Report of the Queen's Council Bill being lalcru in«) consideration, The LORD CHANCELLOR proposed the introduc tion of an additional clause, which, together with the amendments made by the Committee, were agreed to by the House, and the Bill, as amemled. ()Meted to he printed. Lord GRENVILLE presented a Petition from the Govt roots and others of the Guardians of the Poor in the City of Bristol, against certain pro vi ions of the Poor Laws' Amendment Bill —Laid on the table. The New Churches' Bill was read a third time, and passed. The E 41 of LAUDERDALE adverted to the Game Sale Bill, over for a second reading.— Ile wished to know from any Noble Lord when it was proposed to move that stage of the Bill, for he added it was his intention, on such occasion, to move, that the Bill be read a second tinie on that day two months. Lotd HOLLAND stated his intention to move the and reading of the Bill, then before their Lord s:,ips, respecting the punishment for privately ate ding. on this day se'imight. The Marqnis of LANSDOWNE gave notice that he meant to move the second reading of the Convic tion Rewards' Regulation Bill to-morrow. BANK RESAICTION BILL. The Order upon which their Lordships were summoned, which was for going into a Commit tee on ;his Bill, being read, The Earl of LIVERPOOL prefaced his motion for that proceeding with a speech of some length.— In the course of his observations, the Noble Earl remarked, that whatever opinions might have been entertained with respect to the policy of the Restriction, at the time of its being first imposed, or on that of its continuance, there was none ab stractedly as to the expediency of its being taken off, whenever such could be done with safety and security. With respect to the period once fixed for its discontinuance, namely, in six months after the conclusiots of peace, it appeared to him that that was a period at which it was morally impos sible the restriction could be totally removed, in ast»uch as it could not be raiionally expected, that after a war of such unprecedented conti nuance and expenditure as that in which we were engaged, the return to a state of peace could be unaccompanied with such a change. nay, he may say, convulsion, in the state of property, as would render it a v-ry inconvenient and injurious period to remove . the. restriction. In such a si tuaA-n of thineS, some pause or breathing time should he. allowed, before such a measure could be safely aeopted. It was therefore found inex pedient or impracticable to take off theTestriction at the time, and at a suhsequnit period, he was compelled by circumstances, but naturally with regret, to propose the continuance of the restric tion. The circumstances in which the country was then placed - were so clearly felt and under stood as to show that no alternative was admis- Ode. In the present instance, circumstances, connected with peculiar and temporary events, rendered it in his mind an imperious duty upon his Majesty's Government to propose the adop ' lion of the present measure. It was not there fore a question of general reasoning, but a con sideration under the circumstances of necessity. Generally speaking, however, it would be prefer able to postpone the discontinuance of the restric tion rather too late than otherwise, in order to be able to do it safely and effectually. The peculiar circumstances ni,der which the measure was now brought forward, were matter of public noto riety. There were certain transactions now in progress in foreign countries, which unavoidably had an important effect upon the commercial and financial concerns, not only of these but of every country in Europe, and particularly with respect to the state of the Exchanges, and the recent deter . Mination of the French Government to come to a general arrangement with the other Powers of Europe, not only with regard to the contribu tions which were to he paid by it, but also with a view to the liquidation of the claims of private individuals. That Government had engaged for these liquidations by short intervals, and in such a way as obliged it, within a limited period, to neguciate a loan of 30 millions sterling. In such circumstances, it became bighly unfavourable for such a measure as that of removing the re strictions ; and in such an unprecedented state of things, he certainly was not hold enough to allow the Act of 1816 to expire without his proposing its renewal to Parliament. He contended against what was urged on former occasions, that the advances made by the Bank to Government were the cause of continuing the suspension. They certainly were not, either at the period of the ori gin-41 Restrictions in 1797, or at any period since. —On these grounds, the unavoidable necessity of which lie did not but regret, be felt it his duty to move their Lordships to go into a Committee on the Bill. Lord GRENVILLE, in the course of a speech of very considerable length, argued against the adop tinn of the proposed measure, as one of an in furious and even fatal tendency to the best inte rests of the country. Instead of deeming an in terval of six months too shot t for the removal of the Restriction, he, on the contrary, regarded it as too long for continuing a measure, the effect of which' was to pay every. description in a depre ciated species of paper, and which, at that Mo ment, relatively to the standard coin of the coon- try, was at a depreciation of about 5 per cent. The medsurewould operate _exclusively for the benefit of the Bank itself, and most injuriously for the country at large. The continuation of such a - _ sysrem was in effect to remove the ancient land- marks of our credit, to militate against the prin ciple of distributive justice, and to subject the whole commercial system of this country to the will and caprice of oue body within the State, and which is even rendered paramount tn . the State' itself. The extent of mischief which the suspen sion of cash payments had wt ought since its com mencement was incalculable ; and. in one, sense, so far as to i tvolve a depreciation of the current paper to nu less an amount than 25 per cent. One of the principal, the sine qua non, vtlects of the meas. sloe would be an excessive issue and depreciation of Bank paper, accompanied by a torcedcircula• tion of that paper. The alarming extent of 714 6 forgeries of this currency, which had dreadfully increased within the last six or seven years, and the consequent loss of lives, was of itself a consi deration that should withhold their hands. It was the duty of Parliament seriously to investigate the alleged circumstances, and -to convince itself by inquiry, whether any existed, which could render it really impolitic to take off the Restriction on the sth of July next. He thought widely differ ent from the Noble Earl with respect to the effect which the negociations of loans in a foreign country practically had upon the financial systent of this, or upon the state of the Exchequer. If there existed any rational doubts upon these points, it constituted an ample ground for serious inquiry. Even it there were a loan of the amount stated negociated by France, it would not require the exportation of any considerable quantity of coin from home for tilt. purpose. Remittances of the kind were generally made in such commodities as. were deemed most convenient for the objects of the respective parties. He trusted, though it fearfully struck bins as a principal motive, that it wt's not really meant to continue the restriction as lung, as the price of gold remained. higher than the nominal value of the circulating paper ; be cause in such a case the Restriction may be con tinued to an indefinite period. He repeated his apprehensions of the injurious ttlideney of an ex• cessive issue - of Bank paper, - .as an inevitable con sequence of the continned'Restriction, and which further would be attended, in an accelerated ratio, with an excessive issue from the Country Batiks, a,nd which in the result_ would he found to involve all classes of the community in complicated dis tress. With these feelings anti convictions as rl the inevitable tendency of the measure, he cer tainly should oiler a negative to the Noble Earl The Earl of HARRoWBY declared it to have been at all times his opinion, that without Hilt measure the Country would never have risen out of her difficulties, or have borne up so succtss• fully against her enemies. This measure had pro duced increased facilities for every kind of exer- tion. He denied that the Bank wanted to pay its debts with a depreciated paper ; nor was there eve' any proof that the Bank paper had been de preciated ; although the most unwarrantable at tacks had been continually made on the Bank, by persons who said that such depreciation exist ed. There was no doubt a greater quantity of circulatiug medium in the country but that was necessarily called for by various circumstances connected with our political and commercial si- tuation ; so that it was impossible for the affairs of the country to go on without a circulation to that extent. He denied that the restriction gave the Bank that unlimited control over the country which had been stated by his Noble Friend. They had not in any way acted in defiance of the general feeling of the country; on the contrary, they hid the great mass of public opinion in their favour, and the feeling of the monied interest was, that the greatest ad vantages arose out of the restriction. He wish ed the House to observe, that the price of gold was not always in the same proportion with the issue of Bank Notes ; for at times, when the issue of Bank Notes was at its highest pitch— when the issue exceeded thirty millions, the price of gold was talliiig ; and at other times, wh en this issue wt less, the price of gold was higher. An objection had been made to the restriction, on the ground of its .encouraging forgeries. • If such were entirely the consequence of restrictior he would ask, why had not forgeries been more frequent some years ago, when the Notes were more t.ttnnerons ? The fact was, that although forgeries were more frequent recently than ever they had been before, they had not increased in a greater proportion than other crimes. The re striction did nut affect our commerce ; for if gold went out of the country to other nations, it only increased the ability of foreigners to purchase our goods, and the gold would by a natural operation come back to us The only proper time to remove the restriction was, when nobody could perceive that it was removed ; the flood-gates should never be opened until the waters on each side were so level that the operation could be performed without any violent gush, or even without being felt. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE contended, that there was a depteciation in the Bank paper, and that the French Loan had not caused the high price of gold. Of the late French Loan a very small portion came out of this country. It came from other countries on English credit, and even from France itself. With regard to the price of bullion in reference to the issues of paper, as _ _ stated by the Noble Earl, be should recollect, that at the ►i►nes wl►en there was an extraordi nary issue of Bank of England paper, there was . . - but a proportionably sm - alf issue of country bank paper ; so that, on the whole, the amount of paper circulation throughout the kingdom was less ; and that was tl►e principal ca►►se of gold and silver having fallen in price. Nothing could produce any solid advantage to the country, but restoring the eireolatiou to its proper level.—No. thing but that would prepare us for future wars. For these reasons lie should oppose this measure, although he should have no objection, tinder par ticular circumstances, to vote for the restliction for a short period ; or for six weeks after the next meeting of Parliament. Earl Bathurst, the Earl of Lauderdale, and Lord King, severally spoke on the question, the former supporting the. restriction, and the two latter opposing it ; but we regret that want of room prevents us from giving their speeches at any length. The question being put, the House resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill, when Lord DAUDERDALB proposed as an amendment, bat instead of fixing the sth of July, 1819, as he term of the restriction, it should expire in six weeks after the commencement of the next Session of Parliament. A division then took place upon the amend !neat of Lord Lauderdale: The numbers were— Contents Nou-Contents Qe __ . _ Majority l3 During the exclusion of strangers, it was un derstood that several other amendments were pro: :TioSedNy Loed*inr.Lord Holland, and Lary Lauderdale, all of which, however, were negativ ed without a division. The Bill then went through the Committee— the Report was brought up, and the Bill is to be read a third time to-morrow (this nay). —Ad journed at To elve o'Clock. [For the Proceedings in the House of Commons, see the Last Page.] PARLIAMEN fARY PAPERS. TITLES of PAPERS ordered to be produced by Me HOUSE of COMMONS . An Account of the Number of Barrels of Strong Beer brewed within the limits of the Chief Office of the Excise, during the three years ending sth July, 1817; distinguishing the Total Quantity brewed each year, the Names of the Brewers, and the Quantity brewed by each Brewer. The Annual Report of the Commissioners of Education in Ireland, to his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant; dated the 4th April, 1818. A Bill to amend the several Acts for establishing County Infirmaries or Hospitals, in Ireland. A Bill to afford Relief to the bona fide Holders of Nego tiable Securities, without notice that they were given fur a usurious Consideration. A Bill for regulating the payment of Regimental Debts, and the Distribution of the Effects of Officers and Soldiers dying in service, and the receipt of sums due to Soldiers. EQUALIZATION OF COAL DUTIES. A numerous and respectable Meeting of Mer chants and others was yesterday held at the Egyptian Hall, in the Mansion House, for the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety of petitioning Parliament for the repeal or an equalization of the Duties on Coals coming through the Port of London, the duties at which place amount to 10s. 10d. per chatdron, while at the out-ports it only amounts to 6s. 6d. Shortly after two o'clock the Loan MAYOR en tered the Hall, accompanied by Alderman Curtis, Alderman Wood, the Sheriffs, Alderman Good behere, Mr. Waithman, and the Committee ap pointed at the former meeting held at the City of London Tavern. The LORD MAYOR, having taken the Chair, briefly stated the reasons for calling the present meeting : it had been in consequence of a requisi tion signed by a number of the most respectable members of the city : its object was to relieve the population of so great a city from the burthens of so oppressive a tax ; in order to obtain which it was proposed to_petition Parliament for an equa lization of the duties on coals. Mr. M` ADAM read the Report of the Committee. It appeared to be in substance that the Represen tatives of the City, with a great number of other Gentlemen, had become Members of it ; that they had applied to Government, and that the Chan cellor of the Exchequer had replied, that it was the most anxious wish of his Majesty's Ministers to relieve the country from the tax. Sir William Curtis was also described in it to have strongly remonstrated against the tax. Mr. JACKS proposed the first Resolution, which was in effect that the tax was unjust, partial, and oppressive, and bore most unequally on the me tropolis. A GENTLEMAN wished to strike nut all the words of the Resolution, from the word " unjust," as it did not bear on the subject, and seas wholly un called for. -Sir W. CURTIS warmly defended the Regolll tion. If the Tax bore so hard on a certain class of persons, they had a right to call on the Legi slature for relief. During the War, the 'lax was no doubt necessary ; but now we were blessed with profound peace, we were entitled to an equal distribution, and he should, in his place in the House - of Commons, give the measure all the support lie- was able.- Mr. WAITHMAN said, that the population paid not less than 600,0001. per annum, but there was a more important point for consideration, namely, the exorbitant expense the City was at in supply ing coals to the Metropolis, while those who re sided on the spot where coals were obtained did not contribute one iota, for they got their coals for from five to ten shillings per chaldron, and paid no tax ; while those who paid from thirty to forty shillings for the same quantity had to bear so enormous a tax as that complained of. He should give the Resolution his entire support. Mr. ROWCROFT spoke at some length. He concluded by hoping that the matter would be referred to a Committee, composed of Gentlemen of ability, as he considered all argument used there, ignorant as himself and most of those who heard him must be of the subject, wholly. useless. The remaining Resolutions were then put and carried - unanimously ; and the usual votes of thanks having taken place, a great number of signatures were put to the petitions to both Houses of Parliament, and the Meeting broke up. Sit' ISAAC NEWTON considered the Binomial Theorem of more importance to Science than all the rest of his discoveriea. The Co-efficients are of most extensive use in whatever relates to, Combination, and Truths are sometimes disco vered by a mere inspection of them, which really excite amazement, as will be evinced in the fol lowing instance you hold Two Tickets or Two Shares in this Lottery, you will have 420 Chances to get either One or Two Capital Prizes in the First Half Hour, on the KING'S BIRTH DAY; and it is highly. creditable to the CON TRACTORS, HAZARD and Co. in forming tie Scheme on a basis that so much increases the Chance of Adventurers for Capital Prizes. TO CORRESVONDENTS. tioA LITERARY REVIEW To-morrow. We regret any in this department, as we hare reason to beliettetstiiiiii highly acceptable to our Readers. 0 The EIGHTH POETICAL EPISTLE ILO the EDl+•.l° VIEWERS aS soon as possible. i'HEATIII( AL It EGISTEi t r'.. t , Performed Last Night. . o or TiLEATRE Rovhs 4 , Dituitv-L%NE.—A Coq_ fgr t )10 Arliikt.. Young Rapid, Mr. Elliston Olorer.' After itich, Te. Ma. - 0' .•, 1 e THEATRE ROYAL, " COVENT- h GA RDEN gpi . e —The Beggar- Pik) Macheath, Mr. Brailaru; Polly, Miss• StepbeV l . be ' r4 , r which, Apollo's F es tiv a l. T o w hi c h was added , trait of Cervantes. bolVrtss %tortes MAILS ARRIVED—.I I)nblin, 1 Waterford. DuE-1 Waterford, 1 Lisbon, 1 Hamburgb' PRICE 0 S'T'OCKS wF INv o'cr,<lClC. 4 35.2 1' India 80nd5.... • M s ' ',/s• 1 1 " Exch. Bois, 2d.. • 195 ' i s s, P r ' Ditto, 2fd....195. 25 ; if P a r ' Omni um.. •• •• • P a ' • 791 f r Cons. for July ..... • • HIGH I. WATER AT LONDON BR.IDGE TO•NI• , • -g fte Morning, ' tag, 53 minutes after S. I Evenimr„ 17 mitn. THIS NAY AT r Bank Stock . 279 a per Cent. Red...... 7"i 784 3 per Cent. Cons... ... 78i 794 4 per Cents • ••• . 96 iii 5 per Cent N. Ann.....107ii Bank L. Ann 20 3- i6tbs THE stiN. QUIS DICERE FALSUM AUDEAT LONDON, • WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 1818. THE QUEEN. This morning the following Bulletin %% 10 "s respecting Her MAJESTY'S Heal :•••-•' Afr " Queen's Palace, May 27, IBM 1 ./7' , 0 4 4 " The QUEEN has slept w e ll, a nd ° nil° better. " FRANCIS MILIVIArIf, "HENRY FLALEOO). Oi We received this morning the Paris Pay er Sunday last. The following are extracts t he " PARIS, MAY 24.—Yesterday, before in ss i s .' o ol Count de Goltz, Prussian E nvo y E x traor ui and Minister Plenipotentiary, presented t :1 King, at a private audience, a lette r from reign, notifying the marriage of her floYa l oess the Princess Frederica of Prussia w it 'bilt Serene Highness the reigning Duke of An Dessau.. r off, at The Tunisian squadron, which took -e w it at Gibraltar, is still kept in sight, and 0 11 %4 watched by three Portu g u ese f r igates ea t/ to . (11•5/ goelettes, whose vigil a nce a ppea r s much g satisfy the Barbarians. One of the frig ate- 4 constantly in the Road, whilst the rem t ad the division sails every morning to crnii e in be , Strait. The Tunisians dare not venture ing afraid to engage in a combat of vviiich have reason to doubt the issue. t o Talma has quitted Marseilles, to pro cee Montpelier, where he is to play several ch aract ig c r ti " The father of the Invalids, named Il ec. aged 103, went on Friday to witness the 0 , state of the remains of the Prince de forC°loo and thus fulfil a pious duty towards his Commander. king' " The amount of the population of t he o ft dom of Naples is, according to the last c ell 5,117,362. " The Prince de Talleyrand will, it if th°" v t o in the course of the summer t a ke a jou rilcji ot Naples, to thank the King of the Two Sicil ies conferring on him the Duchy of Dino. FIVE PER CENTS. . 68 f. 35 c• Saturday DEFERRER STOCK. Saturday St f. 1 0C ' 6.00 1 " VIENNA, MAY 13.—The last dispatc h° lie ,he Emperor of Austria, at Zara, content aij or is penal Decree, with respect to the son o f ort Louisa of Austria, Duchess of Parma, giving t, for an apanage, the Lord s hip of Reich sta d e tc" considerable domain in Bohemia, forihing " ge y. fore part of the possessions of the Doke o f burg, which have reverted to the Crown bY'; t his pacts ; be is to bear the name and lains Duchy, with the title of Highness. the " According to the accounts from Pesaro, had Princess of \Vales is seriously ill, and courier° If been dispatched in great haste to England. 9 0 4 of the most celebrated physicians have heel at' for from Milan. Her Royal Highness "'stole tacked by a fever, tvhicli for a considerable erh le assumed no alarming character, but i t 8t manifested symptoms calculated to ex cite fai !tensions. " 1 " STUTTGARDT, MAY 17.—Mr. Brook Aar, ee ls the English Minister at this Court , bee's charged by his own Court to make the Ilece: of arrangements for the marriage of the 1;41- etl; Kent with' the Princess Dowager of its 'nth Minister has obtained from th e C°Li Munich and Carlsrulie, which e xercis e "c) of t4es reignty - in the present possessions of the ,t , . ° 5( 0 Liniongen, an authority to enable the Princeitl remain the guardian of her minor s°ll' t ()I thought that the Duke of Kent will resi,le Town of Auerbach. His Royll pass a pats of the winter at Martheim. " ROME, MAY 7.—The Chevalier de rilter;pit' con is preparing a colossal bust of GeneralAlriGt3 land, GOvernor-General of the lonian ti ne 44d it ht bill S tati 0v " tio 4 t°~t► ii nti be ~ n de~ tfi rt}e k t i q( I ti t 11 1 14) t to ; ti,: cll rt n Th t t rld . tt) 4 te tiiv 1; 1 4 e t s , ,e 3 t t t 4 , t 14 4 E, ti, '44 11 4 t Y (4 101 th i k vt. r o Plir, t%;